Package for perishable material and method and apparatus for making same



Aug- 27, 19.35. E. E. ELDREDGE 2,012,529

PACKAGE FOR PERISHABLE MATERIAL A METHOD AND APPARATUS OR KING S Filed 0 l 1931 2 Shee'rfs-Sheet l Aug. 27, 1935. E E ELDREDGE 2,012,529

PACKAGE Fon PERISHABLE MATERIAL AND METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING SAME Filed OCT.. 17, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 27, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PACKAGE FOR PERISHABLE MATERIAL AND gIETHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING Application October 17, 1931, Serial No. 589,423

Claims.

'I'his invention relates to a package for perishable material and method and apparatus for making the same. The main objects of the invention are: To provide an impervious package for food 5 stuils and like material which tend to deteriorate upon exposure to air; to provide such an impervious package which will be eiiicient and yet of such simple construction that it may be made economically and at low cost, and to provide a method and apparatus for producing packages of the type referred to;

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood by reference to the following specification and accompanying drawings (two sheets), in which the improved package and the method and apparatus for making it are illustrated.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a section which represents a selected form of apparatus for forming a receptacle for rcriiaking packages according to the present inven- Figure 2 is a section illustrating apparatus for effecting interlocking of the receptacle and a cover therefor.

Figures 3 to 9, inclusive, illustrate the various steps in the production of packages according to the invention, Figure 9 also illustrating the completed package.

Referring now to the drawings, I have indicated in Figure l a lower die member I0, which, in this instance, includes a substantially cylindrical element II which is suitably seated in a bed plate I2 or the like which constitutes a part of a suitable press. A bottom member I3 of the lower die I0 is carried by a plunger I4 and is itted to the inside of the annular die member II so as to be adjustable. axially thereof from its lowermost or bottom position, as shown in full lines in Figure 1, to up position such as indicated in broken lines in Figure l. For a purpose which will presently appear, the upper edge of the cylindrical die member I I is provided with a groove I5 which is spaced outwardly from the inside of the cylindrical member such a distance as is necessary to provide a durable inside wall portion I6 at the top end of the die member II.

The upper die member illustrated in Figure 1 consists of a plunger shaft II having an enlarged head I8 which is designed to fit in the lower die member as illustrated in full lines, sumcient space being provided for the interpositioning of the material from which the receptacle is to be formed. A work or blank holder I9 is associated with the upper die member II-I8, and, in this instance,

it consists of an inverted cup-like member, apertured, as indicated at 29, to slidably flt over the plunger element Il.

A receptacle, preferably of metal foil, is formed with the above dies by positioning a sheet of the 5 desired material over the top end of the lower die member Il, as indicated by the broken lines designated 2|. The upper die member is then lowered and the arrangement is such that the lower end 22 of the die member I9 rst engages 10 the blank 2| and yieldably holds it against the upper end of the cylindrical lower die member II. Continued downward movement of the upper die member causes the head element I8 thereof to force the blank 2l downwardly into the 'l5 lower die to form a receptacle, as indicated at 23, the blank being incidentally slipped between the adjacent ends of the upper die member I9 and lower die member I0. It will be noted that the receptacle 23 includes a bottom wall 24, a side 20 wall 25, and a rim ange 26 which extends laterally from the rim of the side wall 25.

When the receptacle 23 is formed as above described, it is lled with the desired content, for example, cheese, such product being ilown, while 25 in a fluid condition, into the receptacle.

When the receptacle is filled as above explained,

a cover member 2'I is positioned over the filled receptacle while in the lower die I0, the cover 21 being so formed as to have a marginal portion 3o 28 overlapping the rim flange 26 of the receptacle. While the receptacle and cover element are thus positioned with respect to the lower die member I0, another upper die member or folder 29 is brought into cooperative relation with the lower 35 die member. The upper die member 29 is provided with a projecting element 30 which is adapted to enter the groove I5 so as to bend the overlapping portions of the cover and receptacle downwardly into the groove and simultaneously 40 to rebend said overlapped portions, as clearly shown in Figure 2.

Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6 illustrate the successive steps in the method of producing packages, which steps are associated with the lower die member 45 I0 and result'in the production of a package in which the receptacle and cover are interlocked by means of downwardly bent and upwardly rebent overlapped portions, such as indicated at 3| and 32, respectively. 50

When the package is thus formed, it is removed from the lower die and placed in a protective casing which is of larger diameter, as indicated in Figure 7, but of shallower content-receiving depth. The protective casing is designated 33 as 55 an entirety and is preferably formed of a suitable grade of cardboard or the like. The content-receiving depth is indicated by the arrow 34, and it will be apparent that this depth is shallower than the depth of the filled receptacle, which is indicated by the arrow 35.

The next step in the production of the finished package is the positioning of the protective cover 36 over the top of the filled receptacle 23, as shown in Figure 8. This cover is preferably of such diameter that it flts within the upper marginal portion of the side wall of the protective casing 33, and a suitable plunger, shown in broken lines at 31, is then brought into engagement with the cover 36 and downward pressure applied to effect reshaping of the filled receptacle so that the same will snugly flt the interior of the protective casing 33, as clearly shown in Figure 9. 'This step in the method is preferably effected while the content of the package remains more or less in a fluid or plastic condition, so that no special point of strain will be developed on the receptacle or cover, breakage thereof, as an incident to the application of pressure as above mentioned, being thereby avoided.

The casing 33 is preferably provided, adjacent its upper end, with a concave seat 38 into which the cover 36 vis forced as an incident to the application of downward pressure to the filled receptacle, as above explained. Hence it will be apparent that the filled receptacle is reshaped or spread out to snugly fit the casing and that the downwardly bent and upwardly yrebent portions 3| and 32, respectively, of the interlocking portions of the receptacle and cover are squeezed together to effectively close the joint between them, whereby leakage of air into the contents of the receptacle is effectively prevented. The protective cover 36 is also inserted into its final position as an incident to the final step in the formation of the package.

It will be evident that the above described method and apparatus are such as to permit the production of impervious packages in large quantities, rapidly, economically, and at low cost.

The described structure is merely illustrative of one form of package made according to the present invention, and I am aware that variations thereof may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which should be determined by reference to the following claims, the same being construed as broadly as possible consistent with the state of the art.

I claim as my invention:

l. The method of producing an impervious package for such as food stuffs which deteriorate upon exposure to air, which consists in forming a receptacle having a rim flange, fllling the receptacle with the desired content, positioning a cover over the open end of the filled receptacle with a marginal portion of the cover overlapping said rimvilange, effecting interlocking of said marginal portion and flange, positioning the package so formed in a larger but shallower protective casing, and then effecting clamping together of said interlocked parts and reshaping of the package to snugly fit the said casing by applying pressure to the package top.

2. The method of' producing an impervious package for such as food stuffs which tend to deterlorate upon exposure to air, which consists in forming a metal foil receptacle having a laterally extending rim flange, filling the receptacle with the desired content, positioning a metal foil cover over the open end of the filled receptacle with a marginal portion of the cover overlapping said rim flange, effecting downward bending and upward rebending of said overlapped portions, positioning the package so formed in a larger but shallower protective casing, and then applying pressure to the package so as to reshape the same to snugly fit the casing and incidentally to clamp together the downwardly and upwardly extending portions of said overlapping portions.

3. The method of producing an impervious package for such as food stuffs which tend to deteriorate upon exposure to air, which consists in forming a metal foil receptacle having a rim flange, filling the receptacle with the desired content, positioning a metal foil cover over the open end of the filled receptacle with a marginal portion vof the cover overlapping said rim flange, effecting interlocking of said marginal portion and flange, positioning the package so formed in a larger but shallower protective casing, applying a protective cover to the top of said package, and then applying pressure to the package through said cover to reshape the package to snugly flt said casing and incidentally seat the protective cover on said casing.

4. The method of producing an impervious package for such as food stufls which tend to deteriorate upon exposure to air, which consists in forming a metal foil receptacle having a laterally extending rim flange, filling the receptacle with the desired content, positioning a metal foil cover over the open end of the filled receptacle with a marginal portion of the cover overlapping said rim flange, effecting downward bending and upward rebending of said overlapped portions, positioning the package so formed in a larger but shallower protective casing, applying a protective cover to the top of said package, and then applying pressure tothe package through said cover to reshape the package to snugly fit said casing and incidentally to clamp together said downwardly and upwardly extending overlapping portions and also seat the protective lcover on said casing.

5. Apparatus for interlocking th marginal portion of a cover element with the rim flange portion of a receptacle, comprising a lower die member having a cavity for receiving the receptacle with its rim flange overlying the adjacent top surface of the die, said top surface having a groove therein of shallow depth relative to the depth of the receptacle and spaced outwardly therefrom, said groove underlying the rim flange of a receptacle disposed in said cavity, an upper die member having a projecting portion adapted to enter said groove for simultaneously bending and rebending the flange portion of said receptacle and the marginal portion of a cover element disposed over the open end of the receptacle with a marginal portion overlapping said flange.

ELMER E. ELDREDGE. 

